LAVCA and Wharton Partner to Create First Latin American Private Equity Professional Development Program

October 13, 2015

New York, NY: The Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LAVCA) and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) today announced a partnership to create the first ever Latin America focused Private Equity Professional Development Program. This initiative was created in response to the need from Latin American private equity industry practitioners for practical first-hand learning as the industry continues to grow and evolve.

“The private equity industry in Latin America has grown dramatically over the last decade and this program represents a critical support to developing the universe of top private equity professionals active in the region,” said Cate Ambrose, President of LAVCA. “Wharton’s credibility alongside their diverse and global academic staff make them the ideal partner for this initiative.”

The program is unique among educational offerings in that it leverages the personal experience of the industry’s most seasoned deal makers. Course content is driven by case studies from practitioner faculty, including Advent, Capital Group, Southern Cross, Riverwood Capital, Victoria Capital Partners, and others. In addition to fund manager participants, the program will be led by some of the world’s leading academics from the Wharton faculty that bring global perspectives from emerging markets around the world for comparative learning.

“The combination of Wharton faculty with real life cases from fund managers on the ground in Latin America makes this program unlike any other that is available to practitioners in the region” said Stephen Sammut, Senior Fellow, the Wharton School. “LAVCA’s knowledge of Latin American private equity and role as an independent association positions them as a leading resource for helping to take the industry to the next phase of its evolution.”

The program is divided into two modules, the fund’s cycle and structure and investing in companies in Latin America. Specific topics are in the context of Latin America deal making and include, but are not limited to, co-investing, fundraising, deal flow, minority vs. majority investments, and exit strategies.

The Latin American Private Equity Professional Development Program, created by LAVCA in partnership with Wharton, will take place November 16–19, 2015 in Miami, FL.

Industry practitioners looking to further their knowledge of private equity best practices in Latin America are welcome to apply. There are limited slots available and for this inaugural program, priority will be given to LAVCA Member firms. Additional non-member candidates will be considered based on space availability and their application, qualifications, and relevance. For more information please visit the Latin American Private Equity Professional Development Programwebsite. Applicants wishing to inquire about tuition fees, program venue, and logistics can contact Kaela Duff (kduff@lavca.org / +1.646.315.6735).

About LAVCA

The Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LAVCA) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to supporting the growth of private equity and venture capital in Latin America. LAVCA’s membership is comprised of over 170 firms, from leading global investment firms active in the region to local fund managers from Mexico to Argentina. Member firms control assets in excess of US$60 billion, directed at capitalizing and growing Latin American businesses. For more information, visit LAVCA's website.

About Wharton

Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates economic and social value around the world. The School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and a powerful alumni network of 94,000 graduates.